Timpanelli's Career Night Leads Cougars Past Canaries
AA Kane County Cougars

Timpanelli's Career Night Leads Cougars Past Canaries

Published on July 31, 2026 under American Association (AA)
Kane County Cougars News Release


GENEVA, IL - The Kane County Cougars (34-31) built an early five-run lead and withstood a late charge from the Sioux Falls Canaries (36-30) to open the series with a 7-6 victory Friday night at Northwestern Medicine Field.

Kane County wasted no time against Garrett Martin (2-4). Armond Upshaw opened the game with a double before Josh Allen singled to put runners on the corners. Matt Bottcher followed with a two-run double over the center fielder's head, and Nick Dalesandro later added an RBI single to cap a three-run first inning.

The Canaries answered with an unearned run in the second, but the Cougars extended their lead in the third. Todd Lott doubled to lead off the inning before Charles Mack drove him home with an RBI single. Later in the frame, Zane Spinn doubled and Sam Dexter added a sacrifice fly to make it 5-1.

Sioux Falls trimmed the deficit to 5-2 in the fourth, but Lott delivered again in the bottom half, lining his second double of the game to score Bottcher after a stolen base and restore the four-run cushion.

Vin Timpanelli (3-5) turned in the best start of his season, striking out a career-high 10 batters over six innings while allowing just one earned run. The right-hander retired four consecutive hitters by strikeout and recorded his third quality start of the year.

The Cougars added what proved to be the deciding run in the sixth when Upshaw walked, stole both second and third, and scored on a Bottcher groundout to push the lead to 7-2.

Sioux Falls refused to go away, scoring twice in the seventh and adding two more in the eighth to cut the deficit to a single run. The tying run reached third in the ninth, but Charles Mack made a diving stop at first base and flipped to Jake Gozzo for the second out before Gozzo struck out Trevor Achenbach to secure his league-leading-tying 13th save.

Bottcher finished with three RBI, while Lott collected two doubles and two RBI in the balanced offensive effort. Timpanelli's dominant outing headlined the night as the Cougars earned a key victory over one of the American Association's top clubs.

The Cougars will continue their three-game series with the Sioux Falls Canaries, tomorrow, August 1st, at 6:30 PM at Northwestern Medicine Field. It will be The Life of a Cougar night, with a pregame concert by Fearless. It will also be the first MEGA Fireworks show of the season postgame. For more information, visit kccougars.com or call 630-232-8811.

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